Bucket chassis

ABSTRACT

A chassis for movably supporting a generally cylindricallyshaped container, pail, bucket or the like, the chassis being of a one-piece molded plastic construction and comprising a plurality of integrally connected generally coplanar arranged outwardly projecting arm sections adapted to support the container thereon, and means on the outer end of each of the arm sections adapted for operative connection to a rollable castor, wheel or the like, whereby the container may be rolled or otherwise traversed along the floor during use thereof.

United States Patent [191 Bard [ 1 May 22, 1973 BUCKET CHASSIS PrimaExaminer-Kenneth H. Betts 751t:DlC.BdMk Mh. t 1 men or oug as u us egonAssistant Examiner-Robert R. Song [73] Assignee: Beatrice Foods Co.,Chicago, Ill. Attorney-Harness, Dickey & Pierce [22] Filed: Feb. 4, 1971[21] Appl. No.: 112,618

[52] US. Cl. ..280/79.1 [S 1] Int. Cl. ..B62b 5/00 [58] Field of Search..280/79.1, 79.2;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,665,922 l/l954 Bard..280/79.2 2,573,085 10/1951 Yonkers "280/791 [57] ABSTRACT A chassisfor movably supporting a generally cylindrically-shaped container, pail,bucket or the like, the chassis being of a one-piece molded plasticconstruction and comprising a plurality of integrally connectedgenerally coplanar arranged outwardly projecting arm sections adapted tosupport the container thereon, and means on the outer end of each of thearm sections adapted for operative connection to a rollable castor,wheel or the like, whereby the container may be rolled or otherwisetraversed along the floor during use thereof.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures BUCKET CHASSIS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION' Thepresent invention is generally directed toward a chassis for movablysupporting pails, buckets and the like for rolling movement along afloor or other suitable generally horizontally disposed support surface.The bucket chassis of the present invention is of a one-piece moldedplastic construction which generally comprises four outwardly projectingarm sections, each of which is provided with a castor, wheel or the likeadapted to support the chassis for the aforesaid rolling movement. Thechassis is designed so as to be extremely strong, yet lightweight, andthis is accomplished by so designing the cross-sectional shape of thearm sections thereof so that maximum use is made of integral reinforcingribs, fillets and the like. Together with the aforesaid advantages ofbeing strong and lightweight, the bucket chassis of the presentinvention exhibits a number of additional features over similar typechassis devices known in prior art. For example, the bucket chassis ofthe present invention, by virtue of being fabricated of a plastic orother resinous molded material, is highly resistant to attack fromstrong cleaning fluids and/or chemicals with which the chassis isfrequently used. Additionally, the chassis design of the presentinvention will be found to afford considerable material cost savings, ascompared with similar devices heretofore known and used, with the resultthat the present invention is economical to mass produce, will finduniversality of application, and will have a long and effectiveoperational life.

It is accordingly a general object of the present invention to provide anew and improved bucket chassis.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a newand improved bucket chassis which is fabricated of a molded polymericplastic or other natural or synthetic resinous material. i I;

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bucketchassis of the above described type which affords a substantialreduction in the cost of materials without any sacrifice in thestructural integrity thereof.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a bucketchassis of the above described type which is of a relatively simpledesign and is easy to as semble.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a bucketchassis of the above character which exhibits improved noise producingcharacteristics from being transported over irregular surfaces.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is an elevated perspective viewof a bucket chassis in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, as shown in operative association with a conventionalpail, bucket or the like;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the portion of thechassis illustrated within the circle 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevated perspective view of the chassisillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the underside ofone of the arm sections of the chassis of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detailto the drawing and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, a bucket chassis,generally designated by the numeral 10, is shown in operativeassociation with a conventional bucket, pail, tub, etc. or othercontainer, generally designated by the numeral 12. The bucket 12generally comprises a horizontally disposed bottom wall 14 and agenerally cylindrically disposed side wall 16 which is connected to thebottom 14 and is formed with a downwardly projecting reversely bentsupporting flange 18 adjacent the lower end thereof. By way of example,the bucket 12 is shown as being of the graduated type adapted tooperatively support a conventional wringer assembly 22 for use inextricating liquid from mops and other types of cleaning equipment, asis well known in the art. As will hereinafter be described in detail,the chassis 10 is provided with a plurality (4) of castor assemblies 24and is thereby adapted to support the bucket 12 and associated wringerassembly 22 for rolling movement along the floor or other suitablegenerally horizontally disposed surface.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the chassis 10 is of a one piece moldedconstruction and comprises a central, generally circular shaped bodysection 26 and a plurality (preferably 4) of outwardly projecting armsections 28 which are arranged in coplanar relation and extend outwardlyfrom the central body section 26 at generally right angles to oneanother. The chassis 10 is preferably fabricated of a molded natural orsynthetic high strength resinous or elastomeric material, such aspolyvinylchloride (PVC), polystyrene, molded plastic, fiberglass, hardrubber or other suitable material which lends itself to conventionalmolding techniques. The arm sections 28, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4,are formed with centrally disposed upwardly projecting rib portions 30which intersect at the inner ends thereof at the center of the bodysection 26 and project radially outwardly along the upper sides of thearm sections 28. The radially outermost ends of the rib portion 30associated with each of the arm sections 28 terminates at a generallycircumferentially extending locating shoulder portion 32 which, like therib portions 30, is formed integrally of the associated of the armsections 28 and projects upwardly therefrom. The locating shoulderportions 32 are of a generally arcuate configuration and lie along thecircumference of an imaginary circle, herein designated by the letter C,which is slightly smaller in diameter than the inside diameter of thesupporting flange 18 of the bucket 12, with the result that the bucket12 is adapted to rest or be supported upon the upper side of the chassis10 and be centrally located thereon by having the supporting flangeportion 18 extend around the outer periphery of the locating shoulderportions 32, as best seen in FIG. 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the outer end of each of the arm sections 28is formed with an enlarged section 34 which defines a generallyhorizontally disposed upper surface 36 upon which the flange section 18of the associated bucket 12 is operatively supported. The underside orbottom of each of the sections 34 is formed with a generally annular orcylindrically shaped downwardly projecting support portion 38 which isformed with a central aperture or bore 40 that extends upwardly throughthe outer ends of the arm sections 28, as illustrated.

Each of the castor assemblies 24 comprises a conventional caster wheelor roller 42 rotatably mounted upon a support axis or shaft 44 within anassociated mounting clevis 46. The clevis 46 of each of the assemblies24 comprises a generally horizontally disposed upper surface 48 adaptedfor contiguous engagement with the underside or surface of one of thesupport portions 38. Each of the clevises 46 is mounted on the lower endof a generally vertically upwardly extending stub shaft 50 which isadapted to project upwardly through the aperture 40 of the associatedarm section 28. Suitable means in the form of a retaining clip or thelike 52 is preferably provided on the upper end of each of the stubshafts 50 and adapted for engagement with the return bend portion of thesupporting flange 18 for securing the associated bucket 12 upon thechassis carriage of the present invention. The upper ends of the stubshafts 50 are preferably externally threaded and are thereby adapted toreceive nuts 54 for securing the castor assemblies 24 and retainingclips 52 upon the outer ends of the arm sections 28. A more detaileddescription of the construction and operation of the castor assemblies24 and retaining clips 52 is described in US. Pat. No. 2,665,922, issuedJanuary 12, 1954 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention,which patent is incorporated by reference herein.

Together with the upwardly projecting rib portions 30, each of the armsections 28 is formed with a pair of downwardly and outwardly extendingspaced parallel rib portions 56 and 58 which cooperate with theassociated of the rib portions 30 in rigidifying and strengthening thearm sections 28, yet minimizing to the extreme the cross-sectional sizethereof. The outer ends of the rib portions 56, 58 diverge at theenlarged sections 34 located at the outer ends of the arm sections 28,as seen at 60 and 62 in FIG. 5. The area interjacent the diverging ribportions 60, 62 is recessed upwardly from the underside of the sections34, as seen at 64 and 66 in FIG. 5, with the area 64, 66 being dividedor separated by downwardly and outwardly inclined reinforcing filletportions 68 which extend outwardly from the outer ends of the ribs 56,58 to positions adjacent and coplanar with the lower sides of thedownwardly projecting support portions 38.

The rib portions 30, 56 and 53, together with the diverging portions 60,62, recessed areas 64 and 66, and reinforcing fillets 68 are, of course,all formed integrally of the outer ends of the arm sections 28 duringthe molding or casting thereof and said portions are designed so as toadd maximum strength, yet minimize the amount of material required inthe fabrication of the chassis 10. it will be appreciated, of course,that various alternative designs may be incorporated in strengthening orrigidifying the arm sections 28 without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the present invention provides anovel bucket chassis which may be fabricated in a substantially moreeconomical manner than similar type devices heretofore known and used,whereby a considerable cost savings may be achieved in connection withthe mass production thereof. Of equal importance, the chassis 10 of thepresent invention will be found to have a substantially greaterstrength-to-weight ratio, as compared with prior known devices, byvirtue of the provision of the reinforcing ribs and fillets hereinabovedescribed. Thus, the present invention provides a novel bucket chassiswhich cannot only be manufactured at a considerable savings in cost ofmaterial, but will also be found to be far more durable and have asubstantially longer operational life than prior known chassis designs.Another feature of the present invention will be appreciated from thefact that the chassis 10 has been found to appreciably reduce the noiseattendant the transporting of an empty bucket or container over arelatively rough or irregular surface, the molded resinous materialfunctioning to dampen or absorb the objectionable audible vibrationsproduced during such transporting of an empty container so as to providefor more pleasant use of the chassis 10. A further feature of thepresent invention resides in the fact that the molded resinous materialfrom which the chassis 10 is fabricated will be highly resistant tocorrosion or other chemical attrition which prior known devices havebeen subjected to when used in connection with strong chemicals,cleaning fluids and the like, with the result that the chassis 10 of thepresent invention can be produced so as to have the pleasant aestheticappearance when new, and will continue to maintain this appearance overits entire useful life.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment illustratedherein is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it willbe appreciated that the present invention is susceptible tomodification, variation and change without departing from the scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is: v

1. A chassis assembly for movably supporting a generally cylindricallyshaped container, pail, bucket, or the like, said assembly comprising:

a generally horizontal one-piece chassis member fabricated of acorrosion-resistant molded polymeric material, said member comprising acentral body section, a plurality of four arm sections integrally formedwith and projecting horizontally and radia ally outwardly from saidcentral body section at generally right angles to one another,

each of said arm sections comprising a pair of circumferentially spaced,vertically projecting reinforcing ribs extending lengthwise along oneside thereof and a third vertically projecting reinforcing rib extendinglengthwise along the other side thereof,

a support section integrally formed with and located at the radiallyouter end of each arm section, each of said support sections beingcircumferentially enlarged relative to the corresponding arm section andhaving a generally horizontally disposed upper surface adapted tosupport a container,

each of said support sections comprising an integrally formed,circumferentially extending locating shoulder on the upper surfacethereof, said locating shoulders being located on the radially innermostportions of the associated of said surfaces and defining a commonimaginary circle whose center is located at the point of intersection ofsaid arm sections, each of said shoulders extending generallycircumferentially at least as far as the circumferentiai extremities ofthe associated of said support sections, with said locating shouldersbeing 6 adapted for centrally locating a container on said a pluralityof four caster assemblies, each caster aschassis, sembly underlying asupport section and having a each of said support sections comprising avertically stud projecting upwardly through the correspondenlargedportion on the radially outer end thereof ing aperture; and includingmeans forming a vertical aperture ex- 5 a plurality of four clips, eachclip being mounted on tending through each of said vertically enlargedthe upper end of one of the caster assembly studs portions, and beingcooperable with the corresponding 10- reinforcing fillet means on eachof said support seccating shoulder for removably securing a containertions for reinforcing the portion thereof radially inon said chassismember. wardly of the vertically enlarged portion thereof, 10

1. A chassis assembly for movably supporting a generally cylindricallyshaped container, pail, bucket, or the like, said assembly comprising: agenerally horizontal one-piece chassis member fabricated of acorrosion-resistant molded polymeric material, said member comprising acentral body section, a plurality of four arm sections integrally formedwith and projecting horizontally and radially outwardly from saidcentral body section at generally right angles to one another, each ofsaid arm sections comprising a pair of circumferentially spaced,vertically projecting reinforcing ribs extending lengthwise along oneside thereof and a third vertically projecting reinforcing rib extendinglengthwise along the other side thereof, a support section integrallyformed with and located at the radially outer end of each arm section,each of said support sections being circumferentially enlarged relativeto the corresponding arm section and having a generally horizontallydisposed upper surface adapted to support a container, each of saidsupport sections comprising an integrally formed, circumferentiallyextending locating shoulder on the upper surface thereof, said locatingshoulders being located on the radially innermost portions of theassociated of said surfaces and defining a common imaginary circle whosecenter is located at the point of intersection of said arm sections,each of said shoulders extending generally circumferentially at least asfar as the circumferential extremities of the associated of said supportsections, with said locating shoulders being adapted for centrallylocating a container on said chassis, each of said support sectionscomprising a vertically enlarged portion on the radially outer endthereof including means forming a vertical aperture extending througheach of said vertically enlarged portions, reinforcing fillet means oneach of said support sections for reinforcing the portion thereofradially inwardly of the vertically enlarged portion thereof, aplurality of four caster assemblies, each caster assembly underlying asupport section and having a stud projecting upwardly through thecorresponding aperture; and a plurality of four clips, each clip beingmounted on the upper end of one of the caster assembly studs and beingcooperable with the corresponding locating shoulder for removablysecuring a container on said chassis member.